MLB Prospects 2014: Top 50 Spring Training Performance Tracker

MLB Prospects 2014: Top 50 Spring Training Performance Tracker

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Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Now that teams have reported to spring training and taken part in full workouts, the games can begin, which means we get a chance to see what the best minor leaguers in baseball will do against proven stars.

Sometimes prospects will parlay a strong spring into a surprise MLB job right out of camp, like Jackie Bradley did with Boston or Aaron Hicks did with Minnesota last year. It's often dangerous to put stock in spring numbers because of sample-size issues and shifts in competition.

However, for the top 50 prospects in baseball this year, it seems that there is already a strong consensus over where they are going to end up. Sometimes their paths will change, most likely due to injuries, but often they're set in stone.

Even if we know where a prospect will end up, that doesn't make their performance against MLB-quality pitching any less fascinating to watch. It provides us with a snapshot at where they are in the development cycle.

In an effort to minimize what you have to search for, we will provide daily updates on what each of the top 50 prospects have done in games. The rankings reflect Bleacher Report Lead Prospect writer Mike Rosenbaum's most recent Top 100 list.

The Rockies have one of the most intriguing systems in baseball right now, with the potential to take a huge step forward under the right circumstances. Dahl is the tip of the position player iceberg. He just has to stay healthy.

Where He Stands: Matt Wisler started to grow into his projectable frame, showing better velocity and command of the strike zone. He made 20 starts at Double-A last season, putting him on the map for an MLB job in 2014, though it's more likely to come after the All-Star break than out of camp.

Where He Stands: Max Fried's spring isn't getting off to a good start, as Corey Brock of MLB.com reported the Padres were shutting down the 2012 first-round pick for two weeks due to "soreness in his left forearm."

Fried had a solid debut season in 2013, striking out 100 with a 3.49 ERA in 118.2 innings, and he remains a highly-projectable left-hander who already touches 91-92 mph with the fastball. Any concerns about his arm have to make the Padres nervous.

Where He Stands: It appears that Chris Owings' strong spring, combined with winning Pacific Coast League Player of the Year in 2013 and better overall potential than Didi Gregorius, will be enough to get the 22-year-old the starting shortstop job on Opening Day.

ESPN's Jim Bowden reported that Owings is the odds-on-favorite to win the shortstop competition.

That's good news for the Diamondbacks, who needed some after learning Patrick Corbin, the team's No. 1 starter, is dealing with damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow (also known as the ligament that is repaired during Tommy John surgery).

Where He Stands: Aaron Sanchez had his best outing of the spring in what could end up being his longest outing before the regular season starts. The 20-year-old threw four shutout innings in relief against Baltimore.

. @A_Sanch21 was dealing today, got into trouble early but after that he was rolling. 4 innings of work, 3 #whiffs & no runs allowed.

The biggest thing for Sanchez is throwing strikes. He's still erratic at times, but being able to minimize the number of pitches he throws and walks is critical for the right-hander to go from potential to performance.

Where He Stands: Clint Frazier's bat speed and power potential made him an early first-round pick in 2013. He's just out of high school with less than 50 games of professional experience, so a full season will show how advanced his skills are and what needs work.

Where He Stands: It's not every day you see a 17-year-old pitcher get into a major league spring training game. Of course, you don't run across teenagers like Julio Urias very often. He's going to explode this season after a shocking debut in 2013.

Urias only threw one inning against the Padres, but he made it count with two strikeouts against MLB hitters Will Venable and Yonder Alonso.